Constructing and loading cannon



{No.Model.)

L. GATHMANN.

`GoNsLRUG'JING AND LOADING GANNON. No. 424,969. Patented Apr. 8,1890.

\ I R5 VIM UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

LOUIS GATHMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONSTRUCTING AND LOADING CANNON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,969, dated April 8, 1890. Application filed March 26, 1889. Serial No. 304,894. (No modela) To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, Louis GATHMANN,a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Constructing and Loading Cannon, of which the following is a specification, reference bein ghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to methods of constructing and loading cannon, with the object in view to break or reduce the first shock or violent concussion with exploding the charge of powder, and to obtain an easystarting and gradually accelerating propulsion of the projectile, whereby, with firing, the cannon is not to be exposed to the momentous destructive strains, and whereby, therefore, quick explosivessuch as nitro-glycerine and gun-cotton-may be employed with safety for charging the projectile; and it consists in providing a large powder-chamber, and in a washershaped diaphragm interposed between such powder-chamber and the bore of the cannon, the opening in which diaphragm being' considerably less diameter than the bore of the cannon, and in combination therewith in front of said washer-shaped diaphragm of an auxiliary powder-chamber in the bore of the cannon to which, for firing, the match is applied through a touch-hole, and the explosion of the powder in which is to ignite the powder in the main chamber, or in combination with such main powder-chamber and washershaped diaphragm of an air or gas shell interposed between the diaphragm and projectile, or the combination of all these devices, all as will be more fully described and specilically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures l and 2 represent longitudinal sections through the center of the gun; and Fig. 3, a continuation of Fig. 2, showing a turbine-tailed projectile or torpedo as loaded in the gun for propulsion.

Corresponding letters of reference inthe several figures of the drawings designate like parts.

A denotes the breech of the cannon, bored to provide an expanded powder-chamber a, closed at its rear by the breech-block B,which either may be solid, as in Fig. l, or it may be provided with a touch-hole b, as shown in Fig. 2.

C is the body of the gun, bored cylindrical, and intermediate of this cylindrical bore and the powder-chamber a is provided an offset (l, forming a shoulder for a washer-shaped diaphragm D, either made of metal, wood, or paper-pulp, to be inserted through the breechblock opening. The central hole e in this diaphragm is considerably smaller than the bore of the body of the cannon, for throttling the energy of the gases from the powder eXplosion not to bear too suddenly or all at once with their full force upon the projectile. Forwardly adjacent to this diaphragm D is inserted a sabot E, made of copper or other soft metal, and being cup-shaped to be expanded from the explosion behind it, thereby forming a close joint with the bore of the gun,- and upon this sabot is placed a disk f, of some elastic material, as felt or paper-pulp, that will assist in forming a hermetic joint in the bore of the cannon.

Between sabot E and another sabot F of equal shape the conical chamber, in which, being filled with paper-pulp, is provided an auxiliary powderchamber G, as shown by Fig. l, which powder-chamber, being charged through an opening in top or side of the gun, is then closed by a paper cartridge H, suspended in the inner contracted end of said opening, and by a screw-plug I, provided with a handle 7L and with a touch-hole i. Upon this sabot F may be loaded direct the projectile J, being a shell or torpedo of any usual or special construction, or between said sabot F and a third sabot K, again of the same construction as sabot F, may be inserted a cylindrical shell L, preferably made of sheet-copper, with its ends hermetically closed and filled with compressed air or gases, which shell in its bottom end may be provided with a pressure-indicator m, of any usual construction, that, as in Fig. 2, may enter a central hole or cavity in disk f. Vthen two powderchambers H and a are used, I provide a rod N, with a semi-elliptic spring n secured to its bottom end and carrying a percussion cap or primer 0 to butt against the breech-block B, while the end of rodNentersasocket in sabot IOG chamber I-I will force the sabot E toward the breech of the cannon, thereby striking the cap or primer against the breech-block and exploding it, wherefrom the powder in chamber d will be ignited. lith this device a small amount of powder only being filled in chamber I-I, this with exploding will exert its force in both directions for exploding cap o, and at the same time startingthe motion of the projectile J, after first compressing the air or gas shell L, which provides a cushion, and then the large body of powder in chamber @being exploded the pressure of the gases issuing therefrom through the opening c in diaphragm D will exert their force upon sabot E, thereby still further compressing the air or gases in shell L until reaching the utmost degree of compression or a density equal to that of the gases from the powder explosion, whereby the projectile J or Q will be brought toits full speed gradually and without a concussion to the projectile 'that might cause an untimely ignition of the quick explosives therein.

In place of the auxiliary powder-chamber H, the air or gas shell L may be placed between sabots E and F and then the projectile may be loaded thereon, with an elastic disk p interposed, all as shown by Fig. 2.

Q represents a shell having turbine wings q to its tail end for rotating such. shell by the friction lthrough the air or water. Such shells heretofore were dangerous when loaded with quick explosives to shoot from a cannon,which with my devices, however, can be done with safety.

1. The combination, with a cannon having an expanded powder-chamber, of a diaphragm shouldering against an offset at the front end of said powder-chamber and provided with a central hole smaller than the bore of the cannon, substantially as and for the purpose set. forth.

2. In a cannon, an auxiliary powder-chainber forward of the main powder-chamber, `both divided by a sabot, of a percussion-primer in the main powder-chamber operated by the auxiliary powder-chamber, all substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

3. In acannon having amain powder-chamber larger than the bore of the cannon, a diaphragm shouldering agaiustan offset at the front end of said main powder-chamber and provided with a central hole smaller than the chamber forward of the' main powder-chamber and divided from the diaphragm by a sabot, a percussion-primer in the main powder-chamber loperated by the recoil of the sabot, and a touclY hole to the auxiliary powder-chamber, all substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

4. In a cannon having a powder-chamber larger than the bore of the cannon, a diaphragm shoulderiug against an offset at the front end of said powder-chamber and provided with a central hole smaller than the bore of the cannon, and a shell filled with compressed air or gases placed between two sabots intermediate of the diaphragm and .proj ectile, all substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

5. In a cannon having a main powder-champhragm shouldering against an offset at the provided with a central hole smaller than the bore of the cannoli, an auxiliary powderchamber forward of the main powdercham- .ber and divided from the diaphragm by a sabot, a percussion-primer in the main powder-chamber operated by the recoil of the sabot, a touch-hole to the auxiliary powderchamber, and a shell filled with compressed termediate of the auxiliary powder-chamber and tlie projectile, all substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS GATHMANN.

Witnesses: Y

WILLIAM H. LOTZ, OTTO LUBKERT.

recoil of the sabot, and a touch-hole to the ber larger than the bore of the cannon, a dia.

front end of said main powder-chamber and bore of the cannon, of an auxiliary powderair or gases placed between two sabots in- 

